The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on Wednesday ruled that Ateneo de Manila did not break the league's eligibility rules when it fielded Jobe Nkemakolam for three seasons.

Ricky Palou, Ateneo's representative, broke the news following Wednesday's regular UAAP board meeting .

Saying Nkemakolam's case was an old issue, Palou said the board hardly discussed the complaint filed by lawyer Levito Baligod.

"Ilang taon na take up yan eh. Then there's the CHED ruling," Palou said.

The Ateneo official was referring to a clarification issued by CHED on Wednesday that reversed a previous finding it released on Sept. 3.

Twenty days after declaring that Nkemakolam has not met the academic requirements to graduate from high school and is not eligible for admission to college, CHED cited a Department of Education order that allows Nkemakolam to enter college.

In its latest certificate addressed to Baligod yesterday, CHED explained that Nkemakolam was eligible when he enrolled in Ateneo back in 2004.

“Please be informed that DECS Order No. 26, series 1994, entitled “Placements of Transferees from Foreign Countries Seeking Admission to the Philippine Elementary and Secondary School. Paragraph 2 (e) states that “those who completed the Eleventh or Twelfth grades may be eligible for admission to the tertiary level," CHED said.

“Moreover, the same DECS Order also provides that 'the accepting school shall have the discretion to accelerate their pupil to a higher Grade/Year or conversely to a lower Grade/Year, depending upon the subsequent performance of the pupil in the accepting school.”

Nkenakolam, who played three seasons for the Eagles, attended Reedley International School, completing Grade 10 and Grade 11.

The new CHED certificate was signed by Lilian B. Enriquez, the same official that certified that Nkemakolam was not eligible last September 3.

Wednesday's UAAP meeting was scheduled long before Baligod filed the complaint.

UAAP president Anton Montinola could not be reached for confirmation, but a board member, who wished not to be named, supported Palou's statement.

“He’s (Nkenakolam) eligible under our rules,” said the board member who disclosed that no member school raised a howl. "This is because of the new CHED certificate."